Last spring, the Lakers needed seven nerve-jangling games to get past the young, energetic and athletic Houston Rockets in the second round of the playoffs.

It would appear the Lakers are headed in that direction again in a first-round series against the young, energetic and athletic Oklahoma City Thunder.

After two workman-like victories at Staples Center to start the series, the Lakers hit the road and got smacked between the eyes. The Thunder routed them, 110-89, in Game 4 on Saturday night at the Ford Center and evened the best-of-7 series, 2-2.

The Lakers were in a similar situation against the Rockets last May.

They went on to win Game 5 at home, lost Game 6 in Houston and then won the decisive Game 7 at Staples Center before going on to win the NBA championship in June.

It remains to be seen if they will have that kind of resiliency against the Thunder.

Game 5 is Tuesday at Staples Center with Game 6 next Friday at the Ford Center. The Thunder routed them in Game 4 after winning a tight Game 3 on Thursday.

What’s new about this scenario is Kobe Bryant was healthy last season. He’s not now, and it was evident while he plowed through Saturday’s game, scoring only 12 points on 5-for-10 shooting. He also had three rebounds and four assists in 32 minutes.

Bryant sat out four of the Lakers’ final five regular-season games to rest ankle, finger and knee injuries. He has lacked his usual zip during the series, particularly Saturday, when he looked to pass first and shoot second.

With the game out of hand midway through the fourth quarter, Bryant left the bench to get a massage in the Lakers’ locker room.

Kevin Durant scored 22 points and Russell Westbrook had 18 for the Thunder.

After dominating the first quarters of the first three games, the Lakers went ker-plunk early in Game 4. They had outscored the Thunder 80-53 in the first quarters of the first three games and held them to 18-for-60 shooting (30 percent).

The Lakers started with good intentions Saturday, pounding the ball into the hands of Bynum and Gasol in the early minutes. They failed to follow their game plan and the Thunder torched them en route to a 29-17 lead by the end of the first quarter.

Oklahoma City led by as many as 16 points in the second quarter, threatening to turn the game into a runaway. The Thunder continued their relentless march to the free-throw line, shooting 48 and making 42 after hitting 27 of 34 in Game 3.

The Lakers shot 10 free throws in the half, making only three.

The disparity in free throws was only one indication of the Lakers’ troubles. They got the ball inside to Bynum and Gasol, but didn’t get enough done once it was in the hands of their 7-footers. The Lakers had 24 points in the paint, but shot only 12-for-25.

Bynum led the Lakers with 11 points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots in the first half. Gasol and Bryant added eight points apiece, but the production dropped off significantly beyond the big three.

Lamar Odom was the only reserve to score.

Odom scored four points on 2-for-7 shooting, one night after saying the Lakers’ backups needed to improve their play in Game 4.

“The first unit is doing a great job of getting a good start,” he said Friday. “We’re not keeping the momentum up. … We’ve got to find a way for the second group to come in and stretch the game out a little bit and maintain the lead.”

Meanwhile, the Thunder’s bench play was superb for the second straight game. James Harden and Serge Ibaka ignited the Thunder’s second-quarter flurry, helping to create a 40-24 lead a few minutes into the period.